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20260712010879I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 421 · Chino, CA · July 12, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 12, 2026 · 10:13 local
Place
Chino, CA
Airport
Chino Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N826CM
Reported as
Cessna 421
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
6,385 total128 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N826CMRegistered now · Cessna 421CS/N 421C0508Airframe modelCessna 421C

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft was repositioned to operators hanger with the landing gear down and locked. Propeller tips on both engine are curled aft.

Visual inspection of aircraft conducted in operator's hanger.

Both main landing gear assembly reflected no damage and appeared to have lock in the down position for landing.

Evidence of hydraulic fluid leakage observed on hanger floor beneath in nose baggage compartment area. Nose landing gear, gear doors, pitot tube, radome and nose mounted antennas were damaged. Nose gear appears to have failed a full transition to lock in the down position. Identified hydraulic fluid on aircraft hanger floor beneath nose baggage compartment.

Forward of the pressure bulkhead mounted behind a nose compartment cover panel is the hydraulic fluid reservor.

A cover panel viewing portal reflected a residual film of hydraulic fluid and a ruptured 3/8 inch ployflow tube connected to the upper and lower portion of the resevoir. The amm ipc identifies the tube as a tube-sight metering indicator. Photos are available upon request.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS REPOSITIONED TO OPERATORS HANGER WITH THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. PROPELLER TIPS ON BOTH ENGINE ARE CURLED AFT.

VISUAL INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT CONDUCTED IN OPERATOR'S HANGER.

BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY REFLECTED NO DAMAGE AND APPEARED TO HAVE LOCK IN THE DOWN POSITION FOR LANDING.

EVIDENCE OF HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE OBSERVED ON HANGER FLOOR BENEATH IN NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AREA. NOSE LANDING GEAR, GEAR DOORS, PITOT TUBE, RADOME AND NOSE MOUNTED ANTENNAS WERE DAMAGED. NOSE GEAR APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED A FULL TRANSITION TO LOCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. IDENTIFIED HYDRAULIC FLUID ON AIRCRAFT HANGER FLOOR BENEATH NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT.

FORWARD OF THE PRESSURE BULKHEAD MOUNTED BEHIND A NOSE COMPARTMENT COVER PANEL IS THE HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOR.

A COVER PANEL VIEWING PORTAL REFLECTED A RESIDUAL FILM OF HYDRAULIC FLUID AND A RUPTURED 3/8 INCH PLOYFLOW TUBE CONNECTED TO THE UPPER AND LOWER PORTION OF THE RESEVOIR. THE AMM IPC IDENTIFIES THE TUBE AS A TUBE-SIGHT METERING INDICATOR. PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.